CIHM 
Microfiche 
Series 
(Monographs) 


ICMH 

CoUection  de 
microfiches 
(monographies) 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  canadien  de  microreproductions  historiques 


I 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


Thp  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best  original 
copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this  copy  which 
may  be  blbHographically  unique,  whicn  may  alter  any  of 
the  images  in  the  reproduction,  or  which  may 
significantly  change  the  usual  method  of  filming  are 
checked  below. 


□ 
D 

D 

D 
D 

D 
Q 

n 

n 

D 


Colo  red  covers  / 
Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged  / 
Couverture  endommagee 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
Couverture  restauree  et/ou  pelliculee 

Cover  title  missing  /  Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps  /  Carles  geographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)  / 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations  / 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material  / 
Relie  avec  d'autres  documents 

Only  edition  available  / 
Seule  edition  disponible 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion  along 
interior  margin  /  La  reliure  serree  peut  causer  de 
I'ombre  ou  de  la  distorsion  le  long  de  la  marge 
interieure. 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restorations  may  appear 
within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these  have  been 
omitted  from  filming  /  II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages 
blanches  ajoutees  iors  d'une  restauration 
apparaissent  dans  le  texte,  mais,  lorsque  cela  etait 
possible,  ces  pages  n'ont  pas  ete  filmees. 


L'Institut  a  microfilme  le  meilleur  exemplaire  qu'il  lui  a 
ete  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details  de  cet  exem- 
plaire qui  sont  peutetre  uniques  du  point  de  vue  bibli- 
ographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier  une  image  reproduite, 
ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une  modification  dans  la  metho- 
de  normale  de  filmage  sont  indiques  ci-dessous. 

Coloured  pages  /  Pages  de  couleur 

j I    Pages  damaged  /  Pages  endommagees 


D 


Pages  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
Pages  'estaurees  et/ou  pelliculees 


Q    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed  / 
Pages  decolorees,  tachetees  ou  piquees 

Pages  detached  /  Pages  detachees 

L/|    Showthrough /Transparence 


D 
D 
D 


n 


Quality  of  print  vanes  / 
Qualite  inegale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material  / 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaire 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata  slips, 
tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to  ensure  the  best 
possible  image  /  Les  pages  totalement  ou 
partiellement  obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une 
pelure,  etc.,  ont  ete  filmees  a  nouveau  de  fagon  a 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 

Opposing  pages  with  varying  colouration  or 
discolourations  are  filmed  twice  to  ensure  the  best 
possible  image  /  Les  pages  s'opposant  ayant  des 
colorations  variables  ou  des  decolorations  sont 
filmees  deux  fois  afin  d'obtenir  la  meilleure  image 
possible. 


0 


Additional  comments  / 
Commentaires  supplementaires: 


Pages  27-[28]   are   repeated. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  chr    Red  below  / 

Ce  document  est  filme  au  taux  de  reduction  indie  ;e  ci-dessous. 


lOx 

14x 

18x 

22x 

26x 

30x 

''' 

— 1 

12x 


16x 


20x 


24x 


32x 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 


Lexemplaire  filmd  fut  reproduit  grace  i  la 
g^n^rositd  de; 


University  of  Alberta 
Edmonton 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the    'ont  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  wi'      i      'nted  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  bacK  oove'  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorr^ed  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  cr  ntain  the  symbol  — »-  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entii'ely  included  in  one  e.xposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


University  of  Alberta 
Edmonton 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  gra-:  j  sen,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  n.r;et6  de  lexemplaire  film6.  et  en 
conformitA  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  donr  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprim^e  sont  film6s  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soil  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commengant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniAra  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
derniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — *-  signifie   "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Los  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  etre 
filmds  i  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  etre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich6.  il  est  film6  A  partir 
de  Tangle  sup^rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  i  droite. 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n^cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m^thode. 


1 

2 

3 

1  2  3 

4  5  6 


MICROCOPY    KESOIUIION    ItST    CHART 
ANSI  end  ISO  TEST  CHART  No    2 


1.0 


I.I 


.25 


'■'      lj||IZ2 

t    lis     III  2.0 

III  1.8 

1-4     IIIIII.6 


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anb  €arlj>  Hettersf  of 

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JJIiili  .111  ]liinol)iiMioM  bi' 
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|JubliBl)fb  imbrr  flir  iitispirrs  of  tl)r 

d'ibiifp  lanirr  (Cfi.iptrr  of  tl)r 

Jlliiitfb  D.iiiglitns  of 

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<'l>P«llli;||T,   |t«i7. 

•  >    ThK  J    W.  HlUKKCllliriNt. 

MAt'ttN,  tiA. 


|)iffnf 


llir  fiillowMiK  .iciniiiu  of  Siiliwy  Unicr*  nrlicr  life  y,t> 
llrl  |MtlilMi<'<|  Ml  /A,.  I  H,U- fi  nit  Hi,  New  York.  NovciiiImt 
■111,  IIKHJ,  ami  IS  nprrxliict'il  in  a  nlJiihily  nilarKcU  form  by 
iHrnii-sii.ii  (if  |>r.  William  llayi*  Ward,  I'.clMur  .,(  that  pe- 
rii.i|ic.il  an. I  writ.r  i.l  iIk-  a<ltiiirabli'  NUnuirial  (jrifaced  t.i 
ilir  <iiiii|il,ii-  <'<liii.iii  <>(  the  I'lxmt  Thr  (Hjeni,  life  ami 
"^"iiH.  'Ill  paK»-  :i,  \i  Ulcd  liy  p^•^Ini^.^io^  uf  .\lis,rs. 
<  lia'lis  StTiliiirrs  Scm-,  and  llic  youthful  portrail  by 
l«rnii-.i.jii  „i  .Messrs.  Houghton,  .Mirtlin  It  Lonipany 
and  l'rofrss.)r  Kdwin  Mims.  in  hIiom  Lift  of  Sulnfy 
I  UHur  II  apptars.  Phe  lelter  of  whuli  a  paur  u  ri-prudiicrd 
Mi  fac-nnilr  »va>  lent  by  Mrs  W  A  l|.,p>.,n,  of  Macon,  (ja.. 
by  wli'm-  i-ouric»y  aUo  I  am  ciialdeil  lo  (|iiut<:  the  poem, 
■/"  6.  //.,  and  the  paisages  iliat  follow  from  the  Lanier- 
llopson  c.rrespondenic  .\lr».  Sidney  Lanier,  widow  of  the 
|KK-t,  kindly  examim-<|  the  ..riginal  .M.S.  ami  made  several 
valnabli-  o.rroctions  ami  stiK){i-<ition<,  I  am  nnicli  indcht.-.l 
aKo  In  .Mr  Harry  .«iil«<!l  Edwards,  for  his  thonglitfnl 
word>  ni  lntr..diKiion,  ;.i,d  to  .Mr.  C.  E.  Cainplwll,  of  Macon, 
whose  memory  and  intiresl  have  been  of  constr..,.  service 
I  would  rccoKni/e  «iili  t.rai,T,„|,  ,!„,  cooperation  of  all 
iliese    friendly   aiders. 

The  Umklet  is  issued  under  the  auspices  of  the  Sidney 
l-anur  Chapter  of  the  fnilid  OaiiKhters  of  the  Con fedcmr v . 
an<l  It  is  nitende<l  -hat  a  portiiMi  of  the  proieeds  shall  be 
devt>ted  to  Lanier  memorial  purposes  under  tin  control  an<l 
tlin-clioii   of   this   ( 'li,i|iifr.  G.    H.   C 

.Macon.    ( ,,i  ,    .M.n,    i;)07 


G69799 


^mn^immv^tn^n^s^Mn^ 


ILiff  cinh  i5>ong 

It   ;if«'   wcri;  raiiKlil   1,>    a  clarioncl. 

\inl  a  »iM  heart,  tlirtil.liinjr  in  ||„-  ,..,.,1 
Sli.Mild  tlirill  its  joy  ami  trill   its    ir,  i. 

Ami)  utur  its  heart  in  every  (ittil. 

Then   uuiili!  this  breathing  clariomt 
lypp  what  the  poet  fain  wcjnUj  |„  : 

1  '>r  tinric  of  the  singer-  ever  yet 
lias   uholly  lived  his  niinstrcK>. 

Or  .liarlx    snnR  In.  true,   true  thoiiylii, 
ilr  ntieri>    l..,.lir,l   forth   his  life. 

Or  ..111  ..f  life  and  -onu  has  wrought 
The  perfect  one  ..f  man  and  wife: 

Or  live.l  and  sung,  that  Life  and  S.iiig 
Mi.ght  each  e.vpres.  the  other's  all. 

Circles-  if  life  or  art  were  long 

.Sinee  li.ith  were  ..lie.  t..   -land  ..r   f.ill. 

•S..  that  the  H.m.kr  -trnck  the  c-.iwd. 

Wlio  shouted  it  al.out  the  land: 
His  si'iig  uas  i')ih  liviiig  ahmd, 

His  -M>rk.  o  sinniiii;  with  his  hninl' 

-  .Sidney   Lanier.    lS6s 

(Copyright  l.y  Mary  D.  Lanier.     V«oA  l.y  permis,i,.n  of  Messrs 
Charles  .Scrii.ner'.  S..T.S.  I 


t^ 


Sntrobuctioii 


It  i~  one  of  the  mysttrie":  tliat  we  in  reality  learn  n.4liiim 
vital  fr<.ni  the  piuts  except  to  rcali«-.  That  which  they 
tdiich  within  iis  is  there  awaiting  the  toncli.— planted  with 
the  soul,  in  the  soul     Or  is  it  the  soulr 

Ihey  teach  us.  hut  they  teach  us  to  ^e,•  farther  and  hear 
letter.  They  awaken  the  nnder,tanding  to  it.s  own  deep-laid 
invironment.  and  appeal  to  the  perfection  ..f  the  nndrcamed- 
of  knowledge  within  ns.  Of  the  little  world  wr  inhabit  they 
make  a  universe  and  open  every  winilow  into  an  eterpity  of 
time  and  space.  We  learn  without  the  poet-,  hut  without 
iheni  we  cuiild  never  rer.lize  fully,  that  the  ,oiil  is  not  ini- 
l.nsoned.  We  can  find  our  way  wnhout  them,  hut  not  the 
harbor. 

Who  are  the  poets?  They  are  tlie  men  of  the  chisel,  the 
brush,  the  viol  and  the  pen  whose  work  reveals  us  to  our- 
selves. These,  alone,  knock  at  the  loor  of  our  third  nature, 
our  third  selves.  For.  if  we  are  fashioned  after  Go,!,  made 
m  Ihs  image,  we  are  each  three  in  one.  When  ,e  know 
what  is  the  third  in  the  H..ly  TrinitC.  we  shall  know  what 
is  third  in  us.  Shall  we  call  it  the  Eternal  Femmine?  It 
will  serve.  We  oidy  kn..w  that  it  is  at  the  foot  of  this 
throne   the  poet    kneels. 

It  is  easier  with  this  i.rni  l,.  reali/e  the  .Motherhood  in 
nature:  to  know  that  the  color  ..f  the  leaves,  the  blush  and 
perfume  of  the  ros,..  the  whiteness  of  the  lily,  the  son^r  nf 
the  birds,  the  sunrise  an<l  the  sunset,  the  sohum  umrmur  of 
the  tidal  marsh,  stars  whose  Klittering  silence  is  unheard 
music,  are  not  elemental  facts,  but  ilie  expression  of  some- 
thing l,ehiiid,-of  that  whicli  IS  the  source  of  all  thini;- 
beaiitiful.  tender,  good,  happy,  exalted  and  peaceful;  of  iIr- 
universal  .Mother  whose  hereditary  lines  are  graven  in  us 
Here  is  tlie  poefs  chosen  home,  tli,-  l.,nd  of  our  half- 
dreamed  dr<ams.  the  land  toward  which  at  some  time  every 
man  and  woman  has  yearned. 

.'\nd  its  gateway  lies  in  every  soul. 

What  ha-  ihis  t,,  ,lo  with  the  work  tli.it  follows?  This. 
I  he  people  «ho  knew  and  loved  him  as  little  realized  the 
greatness  of  Sidney  Lanier  and  his  missic  i  as  thev  di<l  the 
writings   on   the  r   own    so„|s      "is   not   this    the    Carpenter's 


HliUrobuction 


^im'r"  was  not  more  naturally  :i-l«<l  in  the  ages  gotir.  iIkih 
were  the  l|nr^lil)n^  llial  MirnninMi  ■!  the  developing  jjeinns 
ipf  our  beloved  townsman.  (lentlenian,  nnisician;  eliaste, 
lovable,  brave  and  kcmitimis?  ^■e•- .  xranled  in  a  breath.  A 
|ii»-l  nneiinalled  in  \nienca ;  Hardly.  He  was  to  teach 
ns  all  k'ttcr  Whiii  we  learned  to  read  our  own  hieroylyph 
ies.  Lamer'*  nie<~axe  needeil  no  translation.  It  bail  Ijeeii 
niiilerstood. 

It  fell  to  the  writer  of  these  line-  to  pnpare.  a-  innior 
editor  of  7/ir  .l/ii.  .-ii  Telegraph.  In-  home  paper.  Uinier's 
obiinary  a  (juarter  of  a  century  Mine.  He  ha<l  a-  little  idea, 
with  all  his  boyi-li  admiration  lor  a  great  man.  of  the  real 
(.■reatnes-  of  Lanier,  as  li.id  the  average  citi7eii.  It  was  only 
after  the  bnnian   voire  annihilated   -pace  over  a   wire,  a   lab 

•  .ratory  toy  develirped  into  the  w-irld's  great  illuminator,  in- 
tricate sounds  were  written  on  a  disc  for  reproduction,  ami 
Hirele—  messages  tonclud  with  con-cionsnes-  the  -eparated 
ii.nids  of  men,  that  he  fully  realized  the  depth,  the  beauty, 
the  gooi|ne-s  of  one  he  wa-  woiii  to  meet  upon  the  streets, 
l.anier'-  mos-age  had  gone  roinxl  the  world  and  come  back. 
It  was  the  same  message,  but  the  man  and  the  men  wli.i 
caught  it  better  iinderstoo<l  th,at  while  they  slept  this  pale- 
faced  coniradt-  who  bad  slept  on  the  N'irginia  hills  with  the 
-tarlight  in  hi-  eyes,  had  risen  to  hurl  jewi-lled  -pears  into 
the  future  and  set  the  bounds  of  knowledge  where  they   fell. 

We  are  -till   picking  up  these  jewcl.s 

In  the  article  that  follows  Profes,or  Clarke  has  ski  fully 
outlined  Sidney  Lanier  in  the  environment  that  produceil 
him.  Hi-  reference  to  .Vlacon  is  especially  ajit  and  charm 
ing.  a  history  in  few  lines,  delicately  conveying  a  flavor  of 
the  Old  South.  His  reference  to  Lanier  K-tray-  the  student 
.iiid  the  -yiii|iatliet!c  Mid  appreciative  friend  of  the  poet 
1  he    work,     though    short,    becomes     at    once    an     important 

•  hapter  in  the  world's  hi-tory  of  Lanier  yet  to  be  gathered 
and  boiiiiil. 

II.VRRV     Sril.WEI.T.     F.llWMdiS. 


> 


^omc  iAcimmsffncrg  anb  a  Jfeto 
€aviv  Urtters  of  ^ibnejP  Hanier 


"All.  tlid  Mill  iiiut  sou  Shellcv  plain, 
Ami  cliil  In-  -inp  anil  ^peak  I.i  yon. 

\iir|  illil  yiiii  spi-ak  to  liini  ajiain? 
Il.nv   -iranyi-  it  -efm^  ami   iii-\\  I" 

1<iu:kki    I'.uiiUMvc:     \l,-iii"r,il'ili,i 

Thai  the  South  can  justly  claim  Edgar  Poe  tor  her 
own  is  (Joubtlul  enough.  Even  if  the  concrete  facts 
largely  favored  such  a  claim,  it  is  still  true,  as  Professor 
Dowden  declares,  that  "  he  would  have  differed  little 
from  his  actual  self  had  he  been  born  on  an  Irish  hill- 
side or  in  a  German  forest."  Both  Poe's  point  of  view 
and  his  output  are  so  e.\ce[)tional  as  to  be  virtually 
unique.  He  is  not  in  verity  a  Southern  poet,  nor  is  he 
even  unmistakably  .American.  To  paraphrase  a  brief 
but  meaningful  line  from  The  Bells,  its  vagrant  author 
IS '  'all  alone."  F^robably  of  Irish  descent  on  his  father's 
side;  born  in  [Boston  of  an  English  mother;  brought  up 
by  a  Scotch  foster-tathcrinVirginia;  educated  in  England 
during  five  critical  years  of  boyhood,  and  later  al  the 
L  niversity  of  Virginia  and  West  Point;  a  wanderer  from 
city  to  city,  though  most  attracted  by  cosmopolitan  New 
I  ork:  Poe  seems  to  have  had  ample  o[)portunity  to  be- 
come anything  but  a  respectably  representative  Ameri- 
can writer. 

If  Poe  were  sui  generis,  it  is  true  in  a  sense  that  every 
poet  and  artist  is  so,  yet,  paradoxically  enough,  the  flavor 
ot  soil  and  climate  is  peculiarly  apparent  in  the  work  of 
the  most  catholic  and  universal  of  men.  To  be  an  Ameri- 
ican  one  must  have  State  affiliation.  To  be  a  citizen  of 
the  world  one  must  first  be  able  and  willing  to  live  pretty 

(7) 


^OMir  lAfmiiiisfrnrfs  nnb 


int<n>tly  amid  a  specific  loial  tnviKiiinurii.  lor  tiic 
world  IS  made  u()  ol  its  own  miniatuM-^.  .And  in  SiJikv 
Lanier's  lile  and  work  there  aie  ample  evidences  ol  his 
habitat.  Lnlike  1  inirod  ami  I  layiie,  ho\v<'\er,  ins  iel- 
low-singers.  he  was  first  of  all  a  poet  and  afterward  a 
Southerner,  though  the  "  afterward"  follows  hard  upon. 
Such  greatness  as  h<'  achieved — and  it  is  fjegiiining  to 
be  seen  that  that  i;reatn;ss  is  real  was  due  to  several 
contril)Utory  cuises,  which  may  vet  all  he  traced  to  the 
single  source  of  his  personal  temper  as  man  and  poet. 
He  possessed,  alone  among  Southern  poets,  the  univer- 
sal outlook,  tending  to  the  timeless  anil  placeless;  he 
was  a  student  ol  lile  and  ol  literature;  he  was  unasham- 
edly sincere;  he  was  a  mastei  ol  wordcralt,  in  jioint  of 
music,  meanings,  individualities  and  kinshijis.  He  had 
more  than  the  melodic  power  of  Poe,  tnucli  ol  the  ideal- 
ity ol  Lmerson,  the  human  sympathy  ol  \\  liilinan.  the 
book-love  of  Lowell  and  Longlellow.  1  hat  his  work 
is  not,  as  a  rule,  finished;  and  that  he  was,  as  both  poet 
and  critic,  too  olten  oppressed  and  overborne  by  his  own 
theories  of  art.  must  be  recogni/ru  frankly,  but  it  must 
be  remiMnbeied  as  well  that  other  and  grs-atei  [)oets  have 
theori/ed  and  experimented,  and  not  always  to  their  ul- 
timate hurt  as  artists.  VC  hen  Lanier  i  ame  into  his  own, 
he  knew  his  high  momi^nt  and  yielded  to  it  .ill  he  had 
and  was.  It  is  surelv  tinu  to  stand  up  and  say  of  this 
man's  Sunrise  and  / Vie  Marshes  of  Cilijnn  that  they 
are  unsurpassed  in  sheer  beauty  o|  lonii  and  de[)th  ol 
insight  among  American  |)oems. 

For  America  vsas  in  him  and  the  South  was  in  him. 
The  Georgia  o|  his  day  was  ver\'  proud  and  very  con- 
ser\ati\e,andthoughI^anier  r(  acted  at  limes  against  Ixith 
its  "conceit,    as  he  termed  il.  and  its  conservatism,  yet 


(8) 


€arii'  Hfttrrsi  of  ^ibnrp  ILnnirr 


hf  was  a  Crorgian  in  h>art  and  mimJ  and  l)odv.      I'hc 
Mat  oil  in  wliirli  lir  \\a^  Ix.rn.  tclnuarv  3d,  \HAJ,  ind 
which  he  called  his  home  until  the  early  seventies,  was 
a  (|UJ(  t  riverside  town  dreaming  in  the  sunshine  ol  mul- 
die  Georgia,  and  much  riore  interested  in  the  graces  and 
jileasures  of  recipro  ,il  hospitality  than  in  <  mitne-.cialen- 
ler|)rists  c)t  great  pith  .ind  moment.     \'er\  jealously  did 
the  people  observe  the  social  and  spiritual  traditions  of 
their  distant  British  past,  >lowly  adapting  these  to  the 
warmer  climate  ol  Georgia,  and  taking  on  a  clannishness 
ol  view  and  habit  that,  buried  bem-ath  a  livelier  outward 
being,  still  persists,  in  particular  among  the  older  families 
of  the  .Macon  o!  to-day.     Indeed,  Macon  is  one  of  the 
mostcharacteristically  Soulhi  rn  of  all  old  Southerntowns. 
foreign  alike  to  the  bustling  modernness  of  .Atlanta  and 
liirmingham.and  to  the  dual  allegiancesof  Savannah  and 
.Nashville.    ^  et  e\en  here  the  life  of  the  past  has  become 
objectively   much    modified,  so  that  to  walk  out  of  the 
house  or  office  of  an  alert  young  citizen  into  that  of  an 
ante-bellum  gentleman  is  sometim's  to  feel  a  sense  al- 
most ol  bewilderment.      The  old  South  is  still  to  be  seen 
in  the  generous  but  wistful  eyes  of  many  noble  men  and 
women  in  Macon  and  kindred  towns.     It  is  there  and 
will  be  there  until  they  die.     They  are  in  it,  and  of  it, 
ar.d  it  is  to  them  a  holy  place.     And  hardly  less  holy  is 
the   devotion   of  their  children  to  tli    same  ideal,  only 
that  to  them  it  is  an  ideal  less  closely  linked  with  per- 
sonal memones  and  less  likely,  in  their  thought,  to  suff<'r 
serious  impairment  by  contact  with  the  things  that  are 
new. 

In  this  .,tately  old  community  on  the  river  Ocmulgee, 
a  town  rambling  up  and  down  a  range  of  little  hills,  lib- 
erally dowered  with  trees  and  lawns,  and  traversed  by 

(9) 


%>omt  lAfininistciucs  nnb 


spacious  strccls,  Sulnrv  L.aiiici  i;rr\\  up.  a  ginllf,  hon- 
orable, seiiMlivi-  SnUtlliTIl  l)OV,  Str'l!1ir|y  att.K  lictl  to  his 

sister,  Ccrtudc.  iioss  dcul;  .itul  to  h.is  hrother,  Clitford, 
wlio  slill  survives  hini.  I  lis  lather.  Robert  Samiison 
Lamer,  has  been  tlesi nbeJ  to  me  by  several  who  knew 
hini  as  among  the  most  ca[)able  ol  olfuf  lauvi  rs  in  old 
.Vlaeon.  ol  line  physical  presence,  a  well-connected  and 
culture-d  man.  and  a  true  gentleman.  His  mother,  Mary 
Jane  Anderson,  was  the  daughter  ol  a  N'lrginia  planter, 
and  a  peuiliarlv  though  not  narrow  1\  religious  woman. 
I  h<'  laiiiilv  life  w  as  gracious  and  affectionate, and. among 
the  ihildnn,  playful.  The  girl  sang  at  the  piano,  or 
romped  m  lh<'  garden  ol  llieir  High  street  home.  1  he 
boys  lbhe<l  and  hunted  a-  well,  .ind  lile  ran  verv  pleas- 

antlv. 

Of  Sidney's  earlv  schooling  in  the  Bibb  County  Acad- 
emy, several  ol  his  friends  still  living  in  Macon  speak 
with  clear  meniones.  Mr.  C^harles  E.  Campbell.  Colo- 
nel C.  M.  W'll.'V,  aid  Messrs.  C.  i^  Rob<>rts  i  who  now 
occupies  th<'  old  Lamer  home  i  and  Mat  K.  f-reeman 
were  all  among  his  mates.  They  unite  in  describing  him 
as  a  singularly  attractive  boy,  not  so  much  in  physical 
apfiearance  as  in  an  indescribable  air  of  gentlemanhood, 
ri-minding  one  of  I  ennvson's  c  haraiteri/alion  of  Arthur 
1  lallam  in  In  Memoriam: 

I  Ir   villain    fiMU-v    lUrliiij;   li>. 
|)R-w  in  till-  ivprc^^i.'ii  "i  ;mi  tyc 

WIi,  r.    i,r.,\   :ni.!    \- ■    ••■   ''••'■'  ■■ 

In  truth,  Lanier  was  a  boy  ol  normal  lun  and  energy, 
but  keyed  to  an  ex()uisite  personal  dignity  and  purity,  a 
bu\  whose  conduct  um  iringly  reflected  his  character, 
and  w  ho  was  earnesllv  admired  and  beloved  by  hisyoung 


(  10) 


€arlt»  Urtters  of  ^tbiifp  Unnirr 


4 


comrades.  Them  he  loved  as  ardently  in  return,  though 
a  certam  reticence  forbade  confidences  [)assing  beyond 
the  give  and  take  ol  boyhood.  At  tremulous  peace  with 
the  iiiner  self  of  his  young  visions,  he  awaited  his  time, 
half-conscious  of  he  knew  not  what,  livmg  meanwhile 
.'  jutward  life  of  good  cheer  and  hard  work.  Mr. 
Campbell,  for  his  part,  who  was  then  and  long  there- 
after very  close  to  Lanier,  though  he  did  not  antici(«te 
his  friend's  literary  fame,  was  always  aware  of  him  as 
"a  knightly  and  clean-tongued"  boy. 

The  affairs  of  the  Academy  were  administered  by 
George  H.  Hancock,  afterward  a  professor  in  Wes- 
leyan  Pemale  College,  and  by  P.  A.  Strobel,  as  princi- 
pals, assisted  by  Fredenck  Polhill,  William  Hill,  and 
one  Ryan,  an  Irish  mathematician  of  original  habits  and 
temper.  Ail  of  these  men  found  in  Lanier  an  accurate 
and  persevering  pupil,  though  fond  of  frolic  and  the 
minor  sports.  The  Academy  at  length  Ion  its  best  in- 
structors, and  most  of  its  students  were  scattered  among 
local  teachers  and  tutors,  while  Lanier  served  for  a  time 
as  clerk  in  the  Macon  [)ost-office,  and  passed  some  three 
years  or  more  of  desultory  study  before  enteri.ig  Ogle- 
thorpe University,  at  Midway,  Ga. 

At  this  small  Presbyterian  college,  which  became 
defunct  in  I  872,  Lanier  developed  rapidly  on  the  intel- 
lectual and  s[)intual  sides,  later  in  life  testifying  to  the 
fine  influence  exerted  upon  him  by  Prof.  James  Wood- 
row,  of  the  chair  of  science.  This  man  was,  for  his  day, 
an  advanced  thinker  and  scholar,  and  was  possessed  also 
of  a  sunny  humanness  of  temperament  that  went  far  to 
cover  heretical  lapses  — lapses,  no  doubt,  indifferently 
misunderstood  by  some  of  his  colleagues  and  most  of  the 
college  trustees.     Lanier  was  greatly  broadened  by  con- 


(II  ) 


!S6»omf  lAfmiiusfcntfS  »inb 


tail  with  Or.  Woodrow,  and  became  a  /eslful  reader 
and  exjilorer  in  several  de'pnrlnient>  of  studv.     I  lis  flute 
practice,  loo.  begun  in  the  .Academy  days,  continued  to 
express  the  music  within  hini.     "  1  le  plaved  directly  and 
naturally   from  the  first."  says  Mr.  Campbell,  "as  one 
hardly  conscious  of  effort  or  obstacle."    I  lis  early  interest 
in  the  flute  se(-ms  to  haye  been  ai  liyely  fo'-lered  bv  his 
friend  Campbell  and  by  C".  K.  Kmmeji,  .uiolher  friend 
who  played  admirably,  and  who  gaye  their  initial  musi- 
cal impulse  to  a  number  of  .Macon  yount;  men.      Mr, 
Campbell  was  with  Lanier  when  hebouijht  his  first  "real" 
flute,  a  humble  but  reasonal)ly  effectiye  inslrumentcosting 
$1,25.     In  Macon,  indeed,  nearly  all  ol  Lanier's  closest 
friends  were  musical,  and  many  are  the  memories  of 
boyish  concert  meetings  and  moonlight  serenades.    La- 
nier soon  deyeloped  an  astonishing  mastery  oyer  the  flute, 
and  might  haye  played  the  f'led  Piper  of  i  lamelin  when 
and  where  hi-  would,  lor  he  could  instantly  charm  any 
company  into  silence,  tears  or  smiles.       Music  and  ro- 
mance were  continually  entering  into  him  and  escaping 
from  him.  in  his  life  as  on  his  lips.     Seycal  of  the  older 
ladies  of  Mac-n  recall  with  affectionate  appreciation  his 
gracious  manner  toward  \yomcn,  and  remember  him  as 
a  dreamy  loyer  of  girls,  who  had,  as  varying  symbols  of 
a  higher  than  human  romance,  "a  sweethea:!  in  eyery 
port." 

Into  the  (juiet  ha[)piness  of  these  well-ordered  days 
novy  broke  the  growling  notes  ol  war.  Lanier,  in 
common  with  every  other  young  Southern  man  of 
courage  and  honor,  heard  the  first  shots  with  a  curious 
feeling  of  mingled  awe  and  e.xultation.  Early  in  No- 
vember. I  860,  the  people  of  Macon  drew  up  a  solemn 
statement  of  the  wrongs  of  the  South,  and  at  midday  of 

(  \l) 


I 


<£iiilp  Uf ttfis  of  %>i\M\tv  Uamrr 


Dfc-rnber  1st,  "precisely  at  the  hour  the  ordinance  of 
secession  passed  in  South  Carolina,"  as  John  C.  Butler 
narrates  in  his  llislmij  of  Macon  and  Cenira!  Ceors^ia, 
"one  hundred  ^uns  were  fired  in  Macon  amidst  the 
ringing  of  bells  and  the  shouts  ol  the  people.  At  night, 
a  procession  ol  fifteen  hundred  persons  was  formed,  with 
l)anners  and  transparencies,  and  as  they  marched,  an- 
other salute  of  one  hundred  ^uns  was  fired,  while  the 
bells  kept  u[)  a  lively  ringing." 

On  January  j'^th,  1861.  Georgia  seceded,  amid 
scenes  of  great  cxcitenunt.  and  instantly  there  swept 
over  the  State  the  sounds  of  fiery  orations,  sighs  of  the 
fighting-passion,  and  calls  for  volunteers. 

I  o  these  calls   l,anier  and  many  other  Oglethorpe 
boys  were  among  the  first  to  respond.     Ac  was  not  long 
deceived  in  his  own  mind,  it  is  true,  concerning  the  prob- 
able outcome  of  the  war  — it  early  became  to  him  the 
"Lost  Cause"      yet  he  fought  on  with  surelovalty  until 
captured  and  committed  to  prison  at  Point  Lookout. 
}•  rom  the  horror  and  bloodiness  of  war  Lanier's  w  hole 
soul  constantly  revolted,  but  his  duty  was  seen  and  done. 
Military  service  was  w  ith  him  a  matter  far  less  of  physi- 
cal enthusiasm  than  of  uncalculating  allegiance  lo  a  high 
idea.     An  anecdote  told  me  by  .Mr.  Campbell  illustrates 
tl.    .   Dugnance  felt  by  Lanier  to  realizing  in  his  own  ca- 
reer a    a  soldier  the  ordinary  "privileges"  of  a  survivor 
on  a  h  'd  of  battle.     It  was  after  Chancellorsville,  when 
Lanier,  well-nigh  in  rags,  was  passing  the  corpse  of  a 
Federal  private.     Suddenly  the  neatncs,s  and  newness  of 
the  dead  n-.an's  shirt  caught  his  eye.     He  hesitated  for  a 
moment,  but,  quickly  deciding  that  he  could  not  take  the 
shirt,  moved  on.     Within  a  few  minutes  he  had  repented 
his  scjueamishness.  reminding  himself  of  his  sore  need  of 

03; 


i^oinr  l^riniiuscrnfrs  anb 


a  whole  ^artncnl,  and  urjjiny  upon  hiiiiscK  the  ^tron(5 
[irobabilily  that  the  Icdcral  would  not,  undrr  the  cir- 
i  umstancos,  he^jrudgc  the  transfer.  H\  the  timr  he  had 
returned,  however,  he  (ound  to  his  clui^nn  that  a  less 
tender-tonsiienced  male  had  dexterou>lv  captured  the 
shirt  en  passant. 

Kroni  Dercmher  1st,  1861,  to  April,  \H(,2,  Lanier 
was  a  member  of  Mes-,  Nunihcr  I  our  oj  the  Georgia 
Barracks,  canipini;  in  Norfolk  lair  grounds,  Virginia. 
I  h's  mess  wa;  the  model  one  ol  the  camp,  having  ten 
memhers  distributed  among  eight  bunks.  One  bunk 
was  occupied  by  Lanier,  another  by  C  K.  Li.imeJI,  a|d 
a  third  by  W.  A.  Hopson  and  C.  L.  Cam[)l)ell.  AlliBf 
the  ten  men  were  on  terms  of  intimacy  and  goodwill 
at  one  time  they  constituted  themselves  a  "f'lckwirk 
Club"  and  took  a  peculiar  pride  in  maintaining  the 
cleanliness  and  attractiveness  of  iheir  (quarters.  Mr. 
Campbell  recalls  hcnv  faithful  and  amiable  Lanier  was 
in  the  performance  of  the  s<>rvices  recjuired  of  him  and 
in  his  helpfulnt'ss  on  the  social  side  of  the  camp  life. 
A  good  deal  of  flute  ('laying  went  on,  and  there  were 
many  animated  discussions  concerning  things  military, 
musical  and  intellectual.  Most  of  Lanier's  experiences 
here,  asa  member  of  the  Macon  Volunteers,  were  reason- 
ably pleasant,  but  when,  in  I  86^,  a  change  was  made 
to  Wilmington,  N,  C  a  harder  life  began.  After  en- 
gaging in  tfie  week's  conflict  about  Richmond,  and  some 
minor  battles,  the  comp.inv  vvas  sent  to  Petersburg,  and 
Lanier  was  able  to  obtain  and  enjoy  a  much  needed  rest. 
At  Petersburg  he  first  saw  Lee,  regarding  him  with  a 
knightly  reverence,  as  Sir  Guyon  or  Sir  Galahad  his 
Arthur.  Early  in  1863  he  was  permitted  a  fortnight's 
furlough  to  be  spent  in  Macon,  and,  u[)on  his  return, 


(  14) 


SIDNKY  I.ANIKK  IN  IWK 
Iv   l.<Tmi««icin  "f  M<-i.sr».  HouiihUm,  MiHIJn  &  Vt 
■arlr  de  v,„u  |>hol.«ni|.h  owiuU  liy  Mllti.n  11.  N 


im|i«ny,     Kn.ni  a 
rihrup* 


(e»irlP  IfttfiB  of  4>ibnrp  U.iiiirr 


acl.-d  VMlh  h,s  l.n.llir,,  Cliff,,,,!,  ,,^  .,  s.oul  in  Milli^jinV 
C..r|.>  in  \iri^ini...  I  |,i.  pr.,\.,l  ,,  not  t.,.,  arduous 
s.TVKc.  .-nlivn.',!  will,  „,,,ny  |4,vsi,,,l  ami  s,,,  lal  .livrr- 
sions  I  lra(l(|uarl,r~  u,-,,.  at  I  ..rl  Rovkin.  ami  it  was 
hrir  Ihal  l^mirT  uroli-  the  |„||,,u  mj^  ,„,,.,|,  |,,  "(,.  |  {  * 
ulios.-  ui.-nlitv  i>  rrv.alr,]  in  tl„  su<ir«linK  (Mv>a«.'- 
Ironi  l.'tlrrs  wrill.ii  al.oul  llw  .,,rn.-  Iinir.  bfir  ua-.  a 
VouiiK  V  ir^inia  girl  wliosr  gr.ur  and  charm  l.a.l  u.,n 
Ihr  li.arts  ot  both  ihr  vounj?  hrolh.-rs  and  ol  tli.  ir  Irini,] 
and  roniradr,  Hopson,  to  whom  1  .anin  p.-mill.-d  ihr 
dim  and  iad.-d  (  o|,v  Ironi  whi.  h  I  iranM  nix-  Shr  ha.l 
uriltcn  111  a  Ictti  r: 

"  Do  vou  r.-ni.ml..-r  th.-  '  Hrou  n  H„d. '  ,„  ||„.  I  ),,„„„ 
oj  Lxile,  wh<.>.-  vonn,  a>  \\r  sal  on  his  tr.r  m  I'aiac'iM 
was  the  last  sound  h.ard  In  /Vlani  and  Ia,-  as  ih.  y  lied 
aion^!  the  ^UiO-}     So.  (ncnd,  do  I  send  niv  irv 
across  tlnsc  l)road  stretches  of  nioonli(>ht  ." 

In  a  copy  set  down  a  year  or  two  late  r  in  "th-  hall,  r.d 
old  ledijer  that  received  Mr.  Lani.-r's  hoards,.!  poems, 
essays,  (juotations.  and  so  on"  (I  use  .Mrs.  Lanier's 
words),  there  are  slight  variations  in  the  last  line  of  the 
second  Stan/a,  and  in  the  lirsl  line  of  the  cm  Imlini; 
slan/a. 


I 


Co  (P.  U). 

Tlioit  nxisl  rare  Uro«n    liinj  ,mi  tlimi'   I  M,,,  i,,.. 
.Ml   lii;uiii-s«i't-(   til   iiif 

•'..IlUlh       Ihy        S.llm       ,,f       )„Jj.\       ,|pj.|,       l,,y;,|n 

\iiil  Inn- ,  liiyli   niyalu 
.\ii,l    |.,vf's   sWift-plra.iiiiK    loneliness    in    ij,,,.. 

'Mir  ,mc  Star  v..n,|er  utl.ritl,   f,,rtli  lier  IikIiI. 
Hit  siIht  call   |,>  niKlit, 

Ulio,   wavcTiiiK  lKtwi.,11  III,-   I)arl<  aii.l   lirinlii 
Onimmtli   with  tinii,l  fli«lit.  " 

l.ik<-  ,iiir   uIki  lusilalelh   'tHixt   ttn.iii;   aii.l   rii.|,l 

(17; 


^oinr  iArniimsrrnffs  -mb 


O.  invLT  HUb  a  iiiylit  .so  dark  as  1! 

lint  ihou  ha~l  -tin  a  '■igh 

"i  l..ve,  a,  a   -lar  would  send  a  l„:am,  I.,  Hy 

l''.»iiwani   trom  om  Hi-  vkv  ^ 

•\ii.l  liKlii   -i  liiarl  tliafs  dark  en..„Kl,  t„  ,lir 

l\T',n'",'t!^"''-/""'   '"■   "•""   ^'lN'T-Hca,„. 
i-T    iiH-    iiiri\ir  drc.ini 

"^  M,;"hki^^^  ^h'V'""' "  ^•"^-  '"^"'^  ^"•-^- 

"   I'lfiii  iiKr  l.nt  -hall  seem 
Ui,„s,.  |.„v,-li«l,l   ihrouKl,   .nv    |),,rk   sl.nll  .v.r  Kl.ani' 

^^On.hoo,h,.rs„|,-,;,lu.  rnnnus,  ,■„„.,,,„,,, |„,e 

N.    (i...vl,  ,.m1    -rts;   o,„it.    v,,,„|,, 

"'■y/T'-.'l-.    till   I.„v.,  i.x<,„i,„e  inilh. 

'■       '"■   "f  a   iiii.ni  cli-ar   niaiili,„,,|,    Urinisl 

riK-so  verses  v.e..  v  Mten  bv  a  vouni.  man  of  n„t 
quite  twenty-two,  durmg  a  romantu:  mterlud,.  m  a  lile  „ 
growma  anxu-ty  anJ  hardsh,,,.  H.nvev.T  tentatue 
he.r  oxecu  on.  thev  show  the  g-nuinenes.  of  Lan.er's 
l-lmg  for  hie  and  nalur...  Ama.-ur  .n  expression,  they 
are  tar  Iron,  amateur  in  instinct.  ..nd  the  indep,  nden- 
stanza,.!  cast  in  an  apparentiv  un,rlate<l  Hanilet-hke 
s  rain.  ,s  vet  a  witness  ,oth.  deeper  seriousness  of  th 
!  o.  .  .s  outlook  an<j  the  high-Lred  quality  of  his  humanity. 
I  lii>  ^tan/a,  indeed,  which  serves  to  cor^dude  'A        ' 

li-Cr  T^  '''?  ''T  ''''  "'  ''""  Bovkin.  and  pub! 
I  sfied  ,n  the  regular  edition  of  Lanier's  poems,  was  no 

^l-'f"  I'-selv  appended  to  Mr.  |  lopson's  copy  of  the 
p.  esen,  poem  by  way  of  a  earned  o^  er  comment  or  refer- 
ence that  would  be  understood  and  responded  to  by  the 
PoeU    nend.      In  poin,  ..I  „me  .nd  circumstance  and 

s.m,larUyo(phrasin,   it.ouldse-™  that  both  po.>ms 
yrc  addres...  to  "G.  H, "      Lamer  characterizes    ha 
already   published   as    "a  litUe   poem  which  sang  Sf 

(18) 


eiirl!.lmfr«of*it,„cpjr.arafr 


som    fine  Xh  "  r"'  "'  '"".^''^'^  ^°^"  '^  '^"--  Po^'enty 

Lam,  for  a  ll,.sp„,,|   .„rclv  «,,.  ,.,vf,i-- 

pi^;  :.'.--;f*  •-'"•■'•'■-'"  1- 

o.h^r/h:v  ;t  'nl  ^"'^  f^'^'^^"'-^  d°  -dge  each 
r,   "■  ,.',"•>  f"n'n<J  me  of  recruits  tryino  to  march  in 

file ;   wh.hever  one  goes  .n  front,  the  h.L'Js,  .TcTr^^^^^^^ 
09) 


^omr  iArniimscfncfS  nub 


to  step  on  l„s  lu.ls;  and  one  knows  not  uli,.th.-r  to 
weep  for  the  wounds  received  th.reby,  or  to  laugh  at 
the  awkwardness  that  caused  them. 

,.    '  '  "  *  *  * 

Cinna  H.  and  I  have  become  firm  Soul-fri.-nds,     She 
IS  a  noble  creature,  and  has  the  b.st-cultivaled  nund  I've 
seen  .n  a  long  time.     l\e  m.fated  he,  mto  the  b,.auties 
ot  iVlrs.  Brownmt.  and  Robert  B    -oi^.ther  with  Carlvle 
and  Novalis;   whereat   she  is  m  a  perfect  blaze  of  en- 
thusiasm.     She    desires    me    to    .   member  her   very 
warmly  to  you,  and  to  e.xpres.  V      ou  her  gratification 
that  your  only  friend  in   franklin  of  the  female  ,.er- 
suasion  ,s  cross-eyed  and  otherwise  personally  d.  !,<  lenf 
smce  so  ,she  added)  you  will  have  less  temptation  to 
orget  your  friends  in  Surrey.      I-.ve  young  ladies  visit 
the  cast  e  shortiv  to  remain  some  t.ne;    among  them. 
M.ss  Alexander,  the  intimate  of  Ginna,  reputed  a  per- 
i^'ct  paragon  of  all  that  ,s  lovely,  etc.     We  anticipate  a 
good  tirne.  and  wish  that  you  were  here,  very  much,  to 
make  it  better. "  .7  ,  lu 

in  the  midsummer  of  I  H64  Lamer  was  sent  agam  to 
Wilmington.  N.  C  where  he  and  his  brother  Clifford 
served  lor  several  months  as  signal  officers  on  the 
vessels  engaged  in  the  dangerous  business  of  runmng 

S '  .^'"m  i-  ^^  x'"'^  '"  '^'^-  '^"f'-^""-  ^-"en  from 
Snuthville.  N.  C.  August  _Mth  of  this  year,  presents 
a  p.ctures.jue  account  of  the  life  -military  and  socal- 
a:ep;!S"  ^^'™^'"^-  «"'>'-t.nef  paragraphs 
"Ten  or  twelve  Blockade-runners  came  into  Port 
within  a  day  or  two  alt.r  our  arrival  here,  and  were 
mmediately  placed  ,n  strict  quarantine,  .t  being  reported 
that  the  bellow   fever   was  raging  in  Bermuda,  and 

(20) 


<enilj)  ttttns  of  ^ibiif p  Uniiifr 


even  that  iher,.  were  cases  on  f.oarcl  some  of  the  vessels. 
1  h>s  proeeeding  somewhat  damped  our  hopes  at  first 
as  we  d,d  not  l,ke  the  prospect  of  being  assigned  to  dutJ 
■n  the  1-orts  protectmg  this  harbor,  and  awaiting  the 
coming  of  Frost  before  we  could  proceed  on  our  voy- 

cause  of  alarm  alter  riding  out  a  Quarantine-term  of 
hlleen  days,  are  being  released  and  allowed  to  discharge 
cargo  and  re-load  I  he  'Lilian  '  wen.  out  last  night; 
and  to-morrow  n.ght  two  of  our  party,  Richardson  and 
Langtiorn,  go  out  as  passengers  on  the  '  Mary  Celeste  ' 
o  bring  in  two  new  stea.ners  now  ready  at  Bern>ud'a. 
H  IS  r.-ported  that  there  are  a  number  of  new  blockaders 
.n  foreign  ports  awaiting  Signal  Operators  to  bring  them 
in.   and  it  is  probable  that,  in  the  course  of  two  or  three 

Pfr,  f'Al  \''^'  "'^^"•■"V  "f  «"■-  l"">y  will  sail  from  the 
rort  tor  tbat  purpose. 

"I   had  a  letter  from  that  blessed  Brown-eyed  child 
yesterday   which      verily  believe  to  be  more'beaut,  ul 
ban  anything  of  the  sort  I  ever  saw.     The  letter  was 
forwarded  to  me  by  Benson  from  Petersburg,  she  sun- 
pos.ng  me  st,  I  there.     |  transcribe  a  part  of  ,t  for  vour 
edification:     '  I  an,  g  ad  .1,,..  ,o.  see  Mr.  Hopson;' b" 
I  do  no   forget  that  the  moving  of  the  Signal  Corps  pre- 
cludes all  hope  of  my  soon  seeing  him  again.     I  do  not 
know  how  Ae  regards  ,t,  but  it  is  a  very  unpleasant  fact 
to  me,  as  you  know,  Nlister  Sid.     By  t'h,-  way,  did  you 
deliver  to  him  th.-  package  I  sent,  tog,.ther  with  the' his 
bund  e  of  kind  iTiessages  ?  etc.,  etc. '     Certainly  I  did 
ciidn  t  1,  fHoppy?  "' 

f  .?^?''  ?'r"'"f '  ^"""^  ^°''""'"' '  ^3^<'  "!'■'  fiere  several 
ol  the  kind  friends  that  I  made  two  y<ars  ago  in  Wil- 
mington.    They  are  spending  the  summer  here,  and 

(21) 


^^ojiif  Krimniscfiirrs  .mb 


pka.sant  mIU^c.  Insomuch  that  ,v,-rv  day  sine,.  I  have 
bee.  here  var.ou.s  servants  bcnr.ng  whue-cov..,.  1  )  ,: 
of  del  cac.es  or  ru,t.  or  books.  u,th  not,.  „f  ,..  n  . 
n.n.s  fron,  the  lad.es.  '  nngh.  have  been  seen  '  u  d  '" 
!>-  way  toward  the  S.final  Quarters  where  5' 
''"     .vP^  up  the   1  roubadour  uande.,n,  ab.  ut  t" 

^;;>>ou  i  could  no.  h!ipt.n::t'i:;;sr 

H       .ns.     Ive  been  wa.'.ng  tc  hear  Iron.  her.  that  I 
might   send  you   her  com.uents   th.reon;   but  the  d.a 
bol.ca   „,a.ls  are  so  slow  that  I  cannot  w  .t  any  I  ,„., 
for  fear  you  ,n,ght  th.nk  me  under  the  waves.     ^       ^    ' 

foriSfr  tT' ?■';"''. ^'r^""S''''^'''"^»'--' 

thlt  the  !        1      ^^T:  ^T'  '^''"^^  ''"'^  "'0'n■"^  state 
that  the  vessel  ran  safelv  through  the  blockidncW?     r 

She  .  owned  by  the  'Alb.on  Trad.ng  G t  ^ I'l  E 

care  a  large  amount  of  bonds,  bes.des  g," .'g  h,;: l^' 

.     "I  do  not  know  what  time  I  shall  leave  her,>      Tl 
m>n..nent  prospect  of  an  attack  on  S:;te-by'|;: 

(22) 


1 

i 


€avlv  Hfttcrs  of  ^ibnep  ti 


mm 


Yankees  wll  probably  induce  the  Blockad.ng-hrms  ,o 
keep  their  vessels  .n  port  on  the  other  s.de  of  the  vv    e' 
a   far  as  possible.     V^ere  ,t  not  for  this.  I  should  getou 
^«  r>    oon.  .n  a  week  or  so;   since  large  numbers  of  new 
vessels  are  waiting  at  Nassau  Hal>f,v  .n^R         j    r 
Pilots  and  Signal  Officer^  ^'"""^^  ^°' 

the"Tllial  '  "fi^^'?  "'"  "°^'  °"',    ^"'^'^^  Cliff  on 

ly.ng  at  this  port;   and  Leroy  Godwin,  his  cousin   Z 

daJor^^P  ^Th  ^^  '"^  Pl'''^''">'  ^""  d°^^"  here  for  a 
>ou  about.     Oh   Himmel!     If  you  knew! 
You  d  come.     Don  t  make  yourself  uneasy  trying  to 
guess  It;  you  couldn  t  do  it  m  a  million  years  ^ 

I  havjn  t  the  remotest  idea  where  you  are.  and  so 

recl.r  ■'  Idd'"  ^"^""-      ^^'r  '"'^  -  --  '    >•- 
leteive  it,  addressing    'care  of   ft    Wi!.  ,„      ^/I 

Signal  0/r,ce,  Wilmington  N  C  'I  am    i     '       '7' 
f^fr,--,>         11         1   k      ',  .    ^'       '  ani  staving  in  the 

"b  irw  •:"''  ^""''  y'''"^"-  ^^^-g  '"vue'dtodo 

Own  S  C  L."^"  "  '  "'^S"'^""'  f^"«^-    '  am,  Your 
Only  twelve  days  later  the  writer,  then  for  the  first 

"Luc;""  ^rnd  r  r  "•^' ;  "^  t^^^^  -  •'-d  t 

I  o  kou,      TL   ^T  ^""^"'^u^'  l"'^  ^as  earned  to  Point 

months  of  which  the  memory  alone  must  have  sea"d 

(23) 


I 


/. 


^, ^. 


Rl 


lX_ 


ttL^  P^    :    ,. 


'/f_ 


7 


> 


/' 


X.-^^  ''-^/..-e  ^. 


''c 


/" 


^  • 


> 


yu^.^^/., 


./ 


;- 


./^Z^^^j/  ??1  ., 


'i'Ui^.^^_  <L.^a^.^    cy/^f^'-i. ,  /?''-6t,,.._...^/xr.  /'^  <"- 


-a^-^- 


///,.,. 


> 

.y... 


We^ 


^'"yY^/^  •" 


-..  /:.. 


-^.^- 


\._ 


KAlSI.MII.l:  |.A,,K  ,,|-  l.ETTKIC  yUOTED  ON  I'ACK  ZS 


<e*ir(p  ILettcvs  of  ^,b„f  „  i. 


mirr 


tp«  of  foul  ci.s.  e^:i^': :tri "  '•"  ^^^-^  ^^  "- 

"f  'Almost  ,„,,,,|,b|,.  pa  "1       ,  j'^:,:'"'''-  '^■\^  -'-«de 

th's  time  da.,.s  tlu.  f,,l  I  «;  "'n'^^^  -^"ul,  and  from 
f;'''^'--law;:;.:;''h^t5''"-  Anderson.!,. 
'>'  the  disease  he  w.«  ik  ,    '""^"'  ""  'f-'"' 

-^.;fr.-:;4i;:tt;-^:-;>'^''^'-'-nd„.o. 

fn.nds,  .n  uho"  '7  "''  ^'"^°"  ^"''  ^^"''  f^'-^  old 
boen  n.ad,.  1,^1  "T"  """"u>"''^  ''^^  ^'-«dy 
found  Ins  lather        K,  :;,'"'■"  '"     '^  "«'--  town  he 

togHherw,,hh,:;  ::l;,t';;'5^t^-C';'y• 
-Kl  Mr.  Day.  ^vhohadl,.:d^■^'^,„S;"'-:/^"'- 
ca(l<,n,  were  nerm.lle.l  f  >  ,    ?  ''""""  'h'"  ^a- 

f  f"urash:^2^d:^X''T'^''''"^^''^^^^• 
<h<•ir  sons  „|„.n  v,s,,,'      h    ^  '''"'"'  '""'•  '-'"d  fi^^re 

('''■a^ure  to  iVI.ssD^v  """■''•'I   ^yarranl   to  g,v,. 

n-a.theop!:n:£;.i;r;n';'7t'r'''" 

--heLanK.rhon:onlh,i;'s,;;t'tte'^¥J^ 


marriage  to<,k  pla<e  D<- 


'■niber  19th.  I«67.  m  Chnst 


Church,  Macon.  Rev   H    F'r  «""'■'" 

('ampb,.||  procured  the  ll  7^''^  " ''nat.nij.      Mr. 

He  tells  mMha,  L  ntr    n^^^^ 

'"^   "Hddle   nan  e   (    '  r  T  t'VT^  «'  ''^'■'^  '™e 

«nenh,nMnr;;o'  Sa::L  a'""'''r^'- 

i-'avid  L.  Llopton,  a  kinsman 
(25) 


:3&omf  lAfinmiscfiirrs  anb 


and  a  dl^tlnglll^ll.■d  mcnilxr  ol  (lu-  Liiil.d  Stales  Con- 
gr<'ss  Irom  MaLinia.  I'crhaps  LanicrV  |,ijt|,<,M.  m 
omittiiif^  It  luiw  was  not  a  (ully  dclincd  one,  though  pos- 
sibly he  l.'lt  the  euphonious  virtue  of  "Sidney  Lamer," 
simply,  as  ha[)pier  lor  him  and  (or  his  work.  For  by  this 
time  he  had  a  sure  sense  of  his  literarv  and  inusual 
powers,  and  an  inward  assurance  of  days  ot  lultilnient, 
however  remote.  The  cei-.-..>ny  itself  was  iinmarred. 
but  at  the  ensuing  reception,  held  in  the  home  of  Mrs. 
James  Monroe  Ogden.  a  daui^ht.r  ol  the  Mrs.  Lamar 
iiienlion.'d  at)ove.  the  t-own  ol  another  daughter,  one  of 
the  hridi  sinaids,  caught  tire  Irorn  an  ojieii  grate,  the 
li.ime  fjemg  almost  instantly  extinguished  by  watchful 
friends.  The  newly  made  .Mrs.  Lanier,  who  had 
already  withdrawn,  ovetcome  with  the  exhaustion  in- 
<  ident  to  an  attack  of  mala.ial  fever  and  to  the  excite- 
ment of  th<>  day,  was  fortunately  spared  the  sight  of  this 
accident.  Even  u  hen  it  was  made  known  t(3  her,  she 
writes  me,  she  was  "still  too  v.eak  to  feel  alarm,  or  even 
to  reali/e  the  cruelly  of  having  that  bright  evening  made 
a  blank  for  me." 

Of  tlie  happiness  of  Lanier's  after-life,  despite  the 
shadows  of  sickness  and  poverty,  any  adeijuate  state- 
ment must  speak  positively.  It  was  a  life  of  energy;  of 
growing  power  and  performance;  of  ripening  friend- 
ship's \Mth  such  men  and  wom(>n  as  Bavard  Taylor. 
Gibson  Peacock,  [^aul  Hamilton  Havne,  and  Charlotte 
Cushman;  and  of  that  tender  love  for  his  bride  she 
was  alwavs  his  bride— that  is  breathed  m  the  husband's 
simple  tribut.-v.-rse.  My  Sprh",.  Mr.  Campbell  tells 
of  the  naiv(>,  incredulous  joy  with  whicli  Lanier  once 
showed  lum  his  newly-arrived  son,  expatiating  in  glow- 
ing  style   upon   the  delicate   b-autics  ol  his  form  and 


•> 


•t 


^26; 


tarlv  UftttiS  of  *ibnfP  Uamcr 


•I 


features.  And  Lowell  once  said  that  the  ii.ia^e  of  the 
poet's  shining  presence  was  among  the  kindest  and 
Inendliest  in  his  nicniorv.  The  success  of  his  poem, 
Lorn,  lirst  publish,  d  in  I.if.)piiu(>lt's  and  of  his  Cantata 
for  the  Centennial  F.xposition  at  l^hiladel|ihia,  did  niu(  h 
to  redeem  Ins  spirit  from  the  clogs  and  fardels  of  its 
hodily  frame,  and  his  late  too  late  connection  with 
Johns  1  fopkins  gave  him  op()orlunity  to  fashion  his 
critical  ideas  into  lecture  form.  I  lis  apfieal.  however, 
it  must  always  he  remenihered,  is  characteristically  that 
of  a  poet,  whether  couched  in  critical  form,  or  fictional, 
or  melodic.  A  great  heart,  a  noble  mind,  an  ex(jiiisilely 
sensitive  lover  of  humanity  and  ait  and  Gnd  ;  he  liv<  d 
a  life  of  growing  strength  in  growing  weakness,  as  the 
last  of  his  poems  must  testily.  It  is  the  wnter's  hope 
that  these  bnef  reminiscences  and  gathered  extracts  may 
have  served  to  express  in  some  measure  the  spirit  and 
direction  of  that  life's  seed-time  in  the  self-containi  d 
old  Macon  of  "before  the  war"  and  the  missionary 
Macon  of  the  Confederacy. 


(27) 


1  . 

I 


>Cii 


'3" 


T  T  P()\  a  ilou   .ipollo  met  the 
^^       Muses  and  the  Ciiaces  in  swcef 
sport,    mixed  with   earnest. 
Memory,    the  ^rave   and  noble   mother 
of  the  Muses,  was   present   lil^ewise. 
hach  of  the  fourteen  spohe  a   line  of 
ierse.        Apollo    he^an.    then    each   of 
the  nine  Muses  sans;  her  part ;   then  the 
three  Graces  warbled,  each  in  turn;  and 
finally  a  low,  sweet  strain  from  Mem- 
ory  made   a    harmonious   close.      This 
was  the  first  sonnet:    and,  mindful  of 
its  origin,  all  true  poets  take  care  to  bid 
Apollo  stride  the  key-note  for  them  when 
they  compose  one,  and  to  let  Memory 
compress   the  pith  and  marrow  of  the 
sormet  into  its  last  lines. 


•} 


•  » 


-SiPNKV    LaMKK. 


f^a4:3:J]:J4xADc^i^:tT4i^ 


iCiirlp  Ifttfrs  of  *>ibnfp  Hamrr 


features.  Ami  L.well  onie  s.ud  thai  the  ima«e  of  th.' 
port's  shminj!  |>resente  was  anions  the  kindest  and 
liundliest  in  his  memory.  The  suicess  of  his  [.o.m, 
Com,  first  pulihsh.d  in  l.ippimoll\  and  of  his  (  .intal.i 
hir  the  (-Vntennial  Kxpusilion  at  I'hilad.  Ipliia,  did  miu  li 
to  redeem  his  ,s|,irit  Ironi  the  tlogs  and  fardels  ol  its 
ho(hlv  frame,  and  his  lat<'  too  late  connection  with 
Johns  i  lopkins  (jave  him  opportunity  to  fashion  his 
critical  ideas  into  lecture  form.  \  lis  appeal,  however. 
It  must  always  he  rememhered.  is  charac  l.risluallv  that 
of  a  |)oet,  whether  couchic)  in  cntical  form,  or  hctional, 
or  melodic.  A  great  heart,  a  nohle  mind,  an  ex(juisilely 
sensitive  lover  of  humanity  and  ait  and  God  ;  h<-  lived 
a  life  of  growing  strength  in  growing  weakness,  as  ihe 
last  of  his  poems  must  testify.  It  is  the  writer's  hope 
that  these  hrief  reminiscences  and  gathered  extracts  may 
have  served  to  express  in  some  measure  the  s()irit  and 
direction  of  that  lih-'s  sei-d-time  in  the  self-contained 
old  Macon  of  "before  the  war"  and  the  missionary 
Macon  of  the  Confederacy. 


(27) 


^fjr  )%>onnft 


J  J  l'()\  a   Jaij    Apollo   nut    tin- 
y^       Muse^  and  the  iiun  es  in  utvcl 
■iport,    mixed  with   earnest. 
Memory,   the  grave  and  nnhle   mother 
of  the  Muses,  was  present  lik'euisc. 
Each  of  the  fourteen  .tpol^e  a   line  of 
lerse.       Apollo    hci-an,    then    eaJi  of 
the  nine  Muses  sani^'  her  pait  ■    then  the 
three  Graces  warbled,  eaih  in  turn:   and 
fnallii  a  low,   sweet  strain  fiom  Mem- 
ory  made   a    harmonious    close.       I  his 
was  the  first  sonnet;    and,  mindful  of 
its  origin,  all  true  poets  take  care  to  hid 
Apollo  strike  the  key  note  for  them  when 
they  compo.se  one,  and  to  let  Memory 
compr''ss  the  pith  and  marrow  of   >he 
sonnet  into  it.s  last  lines. 

Sllistr  I.^N|^K- 


^4X4:43:4X^a:^x?XiaS3^^ 


1 


•    • 


G6'J79') 


PS 

2213 

C59 


Clarke,    g.    h. 

Some    reminiscences 
and  early   letters. .1 


CAMERON  UBRABi 


